Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 422 Establishing Prestige in Battle

A company of soldiers against two hundred ronin—by ​​comparison with the fighting strength of other Ming troops, especially the garrison troops, it seemed a sure defeat, especially since the enemy outnumbered them twice as many. The ronin were also full of confidence, believing that wiping out this small group of Ming soldiers would be as easy as cutting melons and vegetables, just like the Ming troops they had encountered before. However, they didn't know that their opponents were not a weak garrison army, but the Qiongzhou Camp, the first army in the world to step into the threshold of modern warfare.

Although Japanese pirates ravaged the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong during the Jiajing era, appearing and disappearing like the wind, and sweeping across the land, instilling fear in the Ming Dynasty's military and civilians for decades, this did not mean that the pirates' fighting power had reached a point where the Ming army was invincible. Before Qi Jiguang recruited miners from Yiwu to train a new army, the Ming army suffered repeated defeats, even experiencing absurd instances where dozens of pirates could defeat hundreds or thousands of Ming soldiers. The fundamental reason was the collapse of the garrison system, which rendered the inland garrison troops virtually ineffective. Furthermore, the elite border troops responsible for guarding the frontiers could not be easily redeployed due to their need to defend against the Tatars, giving the pirates the opportunity to thrive in the absence of powerful forces. In addition, the core of the pirates consisted of ronin and samurai, whose individual combat skills and experience far surpassed those of ordinary Ming soldiers, making the Ming army's repeated defeats understandable.

In short, professional bandits were so powerful when beating peasants because they hadn't encountered any professional opponents. When Qi Jiguang's new army was trained, using large bamboo spears (Note 1) and the Mandarin Duck Formation, they easily defeated the Japanese pirates. The casualties were comparable to those of a Maxim rifle against a Hanyang rifle.

The Qiongzhou Battalion soldiers, trained to modern military standards, possessed strict discipline and advanced combat methods, making them even more effective than Qi Jiguang's army. Even though the narrow terrain prevented them from using their preferred volley fire, their bayonets alone were far superior to those of the Japanese pirates. The highly skilled ronin, facing the tightly packed bayonet formation, completely lost the rhythm they had used to slaughter the Ming army. They were driven back by the seemingly monotonous yet incredibly powerful thrusts, and aside from repeatedly leaving behind corpses, the ronin had no way to break through this porcupine-like formation.

The soldiers shouted "Kill!" rhythmically, repeating the motion of pushing off the ground with their right foot and thrusting forward with their waist and arms. One after another, the ronin wielding their samurai swords with flashy moves fell to their bayonets. It seemed that these opponents, the Shandong rebels, were much easier to deal with.

After several rounds, nearly half of the two hundred ronin were killed or wounded, while the guard company only suffered a few casualties. The disparity in losses and the clear difference in strength were immediately apparent.

The fierce battle attracted more ronin from the vicinity to gather there. At the same time, the four companies of soldiers responsible for sweeping the flanks also arrived in time. The main forces of both sides were basically all present, and the small open space was immediately filled to the brim.

With such a high density of people and such a confined space, loading and firing were out of the question. The newly arrived soldiers did not hesitate to pick up their bayonets and join the battle.

The soldiers of the First Battalion were ordered to kill, and the ronin had no way out. Although the scales of victory had tipped in favor of the Qiongzhou Camp early on, the battle continued. The sounds of battle were deafening, and blood flowed everywhere. All around were soldiers with resolute expressions and ronin with distorted faces. The ground was littered with corpses, and this small place instantly became a small hellish inferno.

When Shimazu Mitsuhisa heard the news, he climbed off the governor's daughter, hastily threw on some clothes, and rushed over. Just then, he witnessed firsthand the scene of the "invincible" Japanese samurai being suppressed by the Qiongzhou garrison soldiers. The opponents of the Satsuma Domain, who had intimidated the region with firearms and cannons, were now being routed by the ronin who had made their living with samurai swords with only a short, flaming blade. The situation was now escalating into a one-sided massacre.

Shimazu Mitsuhisa was deeply shocked by the scene. His idea of ​​overwhelming the enemy in land battles was nothing but wishful thinking. Not only were their firearms superior, but their hand-to-hand combat was also far better. The Qiongzhou Camp had actually become this powerful! He had originally planned to wait until the Qiongzhou Camp was beaten black and blue by the ronin before feigning an intervention to mediate, thus saving face and gaining power. However, things had developed in the complete opposite of his expectations. Although he had arrived with his own samurai, after witnessing all this, he dared not do anything to provoke the Qiongzhou Camp, and could only stare blankly as the ronin were slaughtered.

The situation on the battlefield became delicate. Five companies of soldiers faced nearly a thousand ronin, and despite having twice the number of opponents, they managed to turn the battle into a one-sided affair. Meanwhile, a thousand Satsuma samurai who arrived later watched from the rear, as if they were watching the Ming army slaughter their own compatriots.

Although the ronin were fierce and incomparably brave, they were still flesh and blood after all. Once their confidence was shattered, they were at a complete disadvantage in the battle, and their persistence became meaningless. The fact that their "employers," who should have been supporting them, chose to stand by and watch was the last straw that broke their spirit. After hundreds of people were killed or wounded, the remaining ronin were forced into a corner, and their sword-wielding movements became sluggish and slow. In the end, some of them simply gave up resisting.

Seeing that the situation was largely settled, and with Shimazu Mitsuhisa and his fresh troops watching from the sidelines with unclear intentions, Ishii ordered a temporary halt to the attack. The soldiers of the First Battalion, having expended enormous energy, took the opportunity to rest and recover their strength.

Without the deadly bayonet attacks, the remaining ronin felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They knelt on the ground, supporting themselves with their swords, panting heavily, oblivious to the slippery blood beneath them.

Shi Ying led from the front, always at the forefront of the assassination. His face and body were splattered with blood, but it wasn't his own, making him look ferocious and terrifying. He looked at Shimazu Mitsuhisa without showing any emotion and coldly asked, "Shimazu Mitsuhisa, when you ordered the massacre of the city, did you ever think of this moment?"

Shimazu Mitsuhisa trembled and involuntarily knelt down, hoarsely protesting, "I did not give the order, nor did I massacre the city. These people simply disobeyed my orders and looted some property. The city's inhabitants were not seriously injured or killed. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Excellency!"

Seeing their lord kneel down, the samurai of the Satsuma Domain were at a loss and had no choice but to kneel down as well, and suddenly they all knelt down on the ground.

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Note 1: The wolf-tooth spear, also known as the long spear or wolf-tooth halberd, was originally invented by the Ming Dynasty miners' uprising army. Later, it became one of the weapons used in Qi Jiguang's "Mandarin Duck Formation" when resisting Japanese pirates. The wolf-tooth spear is made from moso bamboo that grows in the south. The old and sturdy bamboo is selected, and the end of the bamboo is obliquely sharpened into a point. Sharp branches are left around the edges. Each wolf-tooth spear is about 3 meters long and is used specifically for parrying and defense, creating opportunities for friendly swordsmen to attack.